Creamy Gluten-Free Tuna Pasta Bake
Warm and comforting, this Gluten-Free Tuna Pasta Bake is the ultimate family dinner. Made with gluten-free pasta that won’t go mushy, a creamy cheese sauce and a golden crispy topping
Servings: 6
Calories: 496kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g gluten-free pasta
- 4 tomatoes large
- 600 g whole milk
- 40 g cornflour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 125 g cheese I use a mix of cheddar and gruyere
- 100 g cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon sundried tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 200 g tuna drained weight
- 75 g sweetcorn drained
- Fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 30 g gluten-free breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan assisted / gas mark 6 / 400°F.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil then add the pasta. Bring back to a boil then cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Make a shallow cross at the base of each tomato then place in a large bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Allow to rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon, peel off the skin (discard) and dice the tomato flesh. Set aside whilst you prepare the sauce.
- Make the white sauce base by whisking the cornflour with the whole milk in a cold saucepan until smooth.
- Add the black pepper, salt and nutmeg then place on the heat and bring up to a gentle simmer, whisking all the time to avoid lumps.
- Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and tip in the tomatoes, mixing into the sauce.
- Stir in half the cheddar (75g) and the cream cheese and keep stirring until melted.
- Add the sundried tomato paste, garlic, dijon mustard, honey and chilli flakes and mix into the sauce until well combined. Keep at a low simmer for just a couple of minutes so the ingredients have time to get to know each other then turn off the heat.
- Take a large mixing bowl and pour the sauce into it. Add the tuna, sweetcorn and parsley and mix together. Finally stir in the pasta until everything is well combined.
- Pour the pasta and sauce into a large baking dish then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Gluten-Free Pasta. The brands that hold their shape and cook perfectly with the most consistency are those which include a high protein packed flour (like quinoa or chickpea) in the blend, alongside a wholegrain flour (like rice flour or buckwheat). I like Sainsburys Free From Penne or Garofalo’s Penne. You can use fusilli if you prefer.
Pasta Troubleshooting. If your pasta is too mushy it has been overcooked. Hard pasta means undercooked. Different brands of pasta (which have varying ingredients) might cook at slightly different speeds. However, I have found the timings given in this recipe should produce consistently perfectly cooked pasta. If the brand of pasta you used felt too soft then next time you can try initially blanching the pasta for 1-2 minutes less time.
✨As gluten-free pasta tends to overcook quite quickly you will find that re-heated leftovers will produce softer pasta.
Freezing or Making Ahead. If you are making this ahead of time or preparing for freezing then prepare the dish right up until the final bake. Store the unbaked meal in a food storage bag or airtight container. You can store in the fridge for up to 2 days before finishing the dish. Or you can store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before finishing the dish.
Vegetables. You can also stir in frozen peas or a handful of spinach alongside the sweetcorn to amp up the veg.
Baking dish. The dish used to recipe test is 23 x 23 x 5.8cm and holds 2.3litres.
Ingredient measurements: Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
US customary measurements: These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
Nutrition information: Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.
The nutrition serving is for 1 serving, assuming you are serving it into 6 portions.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1462IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 1mg